CINCINNATI – José Quintana stood by his locker after a difficult outing in Cincinnati late Friday night lamenting one poor pitch. The Cubs lefty had gotten ahead of hitters all night long, but fell behind Eugenio Suárez after burying a curveball in the dirt. He followed it up with a changeup that stayed over the heart of the plate and was drilled to center field for a two-run homer, giving the Reds a 4-3 lead they’d never relinquish.

“The biggest mistake for me was the home run,” Quintana said. “I just missed my spot and it was a bad pitch. Especially after I got the offense to help me out. It’s just a bad time to have that happen. I think that was what really cost us the game.”

The Cubs offense is once again in a funk, but getting just five innings from a less than impressive Quintana hurts. Especially on a weekend that has Luke Farrell starting Saturday and a bullpen that is already missing Carl Edwards Jr. and Brandon Morrow. The Cubs could have...